翻譯與藝術評論為客觀詩性的書寫

Translation and Criticism of Art as Objective-Poetic Writing

班雅明在其早期著作裡論述不少關於客觀與詩性的書寫概念，也討論相關的語言和藝術的哲學。本文藉由這些論述基礎，探討翻譯和藝術評論如何展現班雅明所認知的客觀與詩性的書寫。本文的討論起點為班雅明對康德哲學的批判反思，尤其是針對知識論的部分。在將宗教性的義理融入哲學，以突破傳統哲學窠臼的思考下，班雅明在其兩篇重要的文章〈關於語言本身與人的語言〉與〈譯者的天職〉裡討論純粹語言的直接傳達，以及如何透過翻譯把人的語言移動轉變至此。在此語言哲學的討論脈絡下，翻譯是一種「字的書寫」，這樣的書寫類似於班雅明在他的博士論文《德語浪漫時期的藝術評論概念》所討論的藝術評論。在此，藝術評論的書寫是「平鋪直述」式的書寫。翻譯和藝術評論兩者都代表著一種特殊的書寫，其特色是去除個人的情感和情緒，在效果上呈現客觀與詩性的特質。

Drawing upon Walter Benjamin's concept of objective-poetic writing and the philosophies of language and art which he developed in his early writings, this paper seeks to demonstrate the way in which the genres of translation and criticism of art embody Benjamin's concept of such writing. This discussion begins with Benjamin's critical reflections on Kant's philosophy, especially with regard to epistemological problems. Benjamin seeks to revise Kant's philosophy by integrating religious doctrine into his reflections on the philosophical tradition. With this philosophical consideration, Benjamin discusses the pure language, its manner of communication, and why translation is meant to transform human language into the pure language. These ideas are presented in his essays ”On Language as Such and on the Language of Man” and ”The Task of the Translator.” In the context of Benjamin's philosophical and linguistic discussions, translation becomes a practice of ”writing literalness,” analogous to criticism of art arising from prose-writing, which he discussed in his dissertation The Concept of Art Criticism in German Romanticism. According to Benjamin, both practices of writing dispense with personal affect and emotion, thereby appearing to be both objective and poetic in terms of effect.